12.29.2009

Before the year is over, I'd like to make good on my promise a couple posts ago to put up some photos from the trip I took to Vietnam and Cambodia in Oct/Nov. Though we were only gone a mere eleven days, we packed so much in to our time that it felt double that (in a good way). I know for certain that I would love to return some day to give these two beautiful countries the attention they deserve, but for now I'll have to remember the little taste test that we had.

Saigon/HCM City, VietnamAmazing little bread critters in a shop we ducked in to to avoid the rain. I really wish we had bought some, but we only stopped for a couple seconds.Some of the Party artworkHow just about every family gets around town - all on one scooter. There are helmet laws, but interestingly enough, they didn't seem to apply to children.Claudia gets groomed.

We did manage to get some relaxing inThere were loads of venues for that"Welcome Drink"My market friend. This kid could locate just about everything.In control.

Temple Complexes Around Siem Reap

Day 1 - Bike Ride to Angkor WatJust like the cathedrals in Europe, these holy sites are still in use by the local religious folk. Each of the sites we went to still had many active Buddhist shrines.The friezes were amazing - there are many non-close-up shots in the album, linked above.It was wonderful to see that Angkor Wat was very much in use by the local people, and not one of those world heritage sites that have imposed high entrance fees that are prohibitive to the average non-tourist. We had to buy a three-day pass, but from what I saw, they only checked the obvious foreigners for these.Some boys who insisted on giving us a tour of the local cemetery. I believe they were associated with the Children's hospital nearby.

Day 2 - Bike Ride to Angkor ThomThe ladiesThe other ladies - they were all over the place.I turned the corner and was taking a picture of the doorway when he walked into the frame. I literally gasped.One of the many massive faces overlooking the site.Active Buddhist shrine within Angkor Thom.Pretty red strangerI can't even do justice to the sounds and smells that surrounded us on our ride. I can come close to what it sounded like - every silly, exaggerated jungle soundtrack from a Tarzan movie. Seriously, it's pretty dead on. As for the smells, nothing can really capture that. Think of a mixture of burning aromatic wood and leaves; jasmine and other musky flowers; cinnamon; incense; damp earth; and heat.

Day 3 - TukTuk to Ta ProhmIn real lifeThese trees just oozed over the carved stones, like melted candle sticks.The lichens all over the place were vibrant with colorNone of these pictures really show the scale of these trees and buildings. I could fit comfortably between these roots, with a couple friends.This old dude came up to me and started talking to me in very broken English, and for the life of me I couldn't get what he was saying. I could have sworn he was asking me if I wanted to see the dinosaur. Finally I just told Claudia to come with me while I saw what he was all eager to show us, and he pointed to this.Well what do you know? A dinosaur. Can't even begin to figure what else it could be. So random. The old man was also covered with scores of tiny prison-like tattoos, the meanings of which I can only guess at, considering Cambodia's dark past. I don't doubt he saw some violent days in his lifetime.It almost looks like the scaffolding is holding up this bad boy.Walking out looked like something out of an Indiana Jones film.

Night in Siem Reap and the Water FestivalWhen the TukTuk got us back to Siem Reap, we decided to walk around because it was our last night, and we wanted to see more of the town. We hit the market one more time.and then went on to the Water Festival, which was getting all revved up by the river.There were loads of street vendors, noisy Cambodian pop music, and illuminated boats in the water.People gathered around to watch the canoe races. I took loads of pics of the boats, but they mostly turned out crummy.all of them were crewed by rowdy local youth and looked like a load of fun.The night ended with a massive fireworks displayand the children placing offerings in the river of candy, candles, and flowers on rafts.I wish I were a better low light photographer, but at least I managed to take some!

Halong Bay CruiseBooks and beers - librarian on vacationwhy yes, those are carrots and peppers masterfully carved into flowersand a tomato phoenixFloating venders

And essentially the only shot I got of HanoiI wish I had had time to take more, but we were really only in the city proper for a handful of hours.

About Me

Let's Rock was originally started to keep my friends and family informed about my whereabouts and state of being while I was on a trip to Peru. Once I returned, it kind of lay dormant for quite some time, but recently I realized that I wanted to do some writing from home. Gathered here are my random thoughts, reactions, and musings about whatever strikes me as interesting throughout the day.
A bit about me:
I am the director of a small library and archives in Chicago. I have loads of random hobbies and interests that I am sure will come out at some point during my writing on here. I love to talk about Chicago, my profession, travel, and more - feel free to comment, and I will get back to you eventually.